Plaid Wool Tote Bag

This is only my second wool tote bag made with the Grocery Bag pattern and it turned out so very, very nice!

The first one I made I’ve had for years and years and is a speckled brown wool that is amazing but not nearly as photogenic and this wool. I don’t remember exactly when I made the first one but it was pre-2019. And you know what? It still looks practically brand new even though I use it pretty much all winter, every winter.

Now you might be wondering why I’d make a grocery bag in wool and the thing is, these bags are wonderful tote bags and do not have to be used for carrying your market shopping home. They are just for moving anything around I’ve used them to pack for car trips, moving, returning books to the Free Little Libraries (love those!), taking swim gear to the pool, project bags, storage bags, and more.

I’ve used the first wool one I made for a purse every winter. It’s waterproof and super easy to just toss my wallet inside and maybe an umbrella to keep the rest of me from getting wet. As I run errands, small purchases also get tossed in the bag. If I’m really thinking ahead, and plan to do some food shopping, I’ll pack a few of my denim large size bags (the wool ones are the medium in the pattern) inside and then I’m all set up for hauling my haul home.

The wool I’ve used for this one is some sort of worsted wool (I think…). I bought a large remnant at a local fabric shop and the store owner wasn’t sure what type of wool it is either. I’ve tried to find some info on how to figure it out but I still can’t be sure exactly. It is on the thinner side—meaning it’s not thick and fluffy—but not as thin as wool suiting, it’s smooth, double-faced, and it doesn’t fray.

If you are interested in making a piece of this wool fabric yours, a remnant is available in my etsy shop here. This piece is not enough for this bag but at 16” x 29” it’s still a good size piece.